Boundary

Disciplines:  Bag design - Design Research

Time: Winter 2020 - 3 weeks

 

A field workspace for park rangers: Boundary is a low profile chest pack designed to assist with the daily tasks and duties of a park ranger.

Park Rangers

The people that are entrusted to protect and preserve state and national parks; the natural resources, ecosystems, and wildlife within them; and the people who visit them. A demanding and technical trade, park rangers have to be prepared for a wide variety of situations tasks.

How could their daily tasks, responsibilities, and lives be tailored to and improved?

  • "A pack is usually too cumbersome and inconvenient for what I need to carry and frequently access."

    Meghan - phone interview

  • "I carry a small pack from Osprey and I wish it had more built-in compartments. I'm carrying a lot of small to medieum sized objects and they tend to get jumbled up in the main compartment."

    SequioaTree1 - Reddit

  • "In my cargo pockets or on my belt is a small notebook and pen that I always use to keep track of my tasks and take notes on the park."

    OldGreyTroll - Reddit

  • "I always keep a cargo pocket full of rubber gloves. I know they make belt pouches for them but I have enough on my belt already."

    patches8121 - Reddit

Early on

it was evident that a chest pack could offer an alternative carry method to packs, belts, and pockets. The intention is to centrally locate key items on the person and remove wait from the lower body.

Honing in on common duties and tasks of park rangers; the opportunity to design a work surface for their needs in the field arose.

Exploring different enclosure methods, a Velcro flap was chosen due to its speed and ease of use. Pleated side tensioners allow contents to be secured inside as well as ample room for users to operate within the pack.

Boundary; a low profile chest pack for park rangers.

The chest pack consists of the main fold-down pocket, a sealed zipper pouch, and a slotted pocket on the back of the pack.

  • The front plant of the pack has a stiff interior to create a semi-rigid working space for a user. The v-cut side tensioners offer a spacious entry into the workspace of the pack.

  • The exterior zipper features a waterproof zipper and double seemed shroud to protect stored items from the elements. The pouch can accommodate most plus-size smartphones on the market.

  • Small interior pockets and straps offer sheltered storage and organization of small objects. The enclosed sides allow the work surface to rest at a consistent angle and secure loose objects inside.

The materials on the pack consist of a 3 layer water-proof membrane, a coated nylon ripstop, nylon webbing, and a sealed zipper.

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